Equipping young women professionals with young families to find fulfillment, contentment and joy as mothers and home makers without losing sight of who they are as women.

Volume 08, Issue 05; Don’t Tell

A few Sundays ago, my pastor taught on a story of two women recorded in the 4th chapter of the book of second Kings that left my juices flowing. One of the women was a poor widow while the other was a woman of means. The poor widow had two sons whose freedom was under threat, while the woman of means was childless. They both needed a miracle and each of them exercised their faith to get it.

I studied and wrote an article on the woman of means some years back that has remained fresh in my mind ever since. I titled the article "it is well". I was utterly impressed by her manner in a time of tremendous trouble, and I have carried myself like her in my times of trouble ever since.

In this story retold by my pastor, the woman of means is portrayed as a woman who knows how to grab opportunities. She perceives Elisha as a man of God and asks her husband to build a room for him above their house. Prophet Elisha responds to her generosity by performing a miracle for her, without her asking. Within a year, she births forth a son. What she didn't realize is that the room she was building, she would later need for a miracle, the greatest miracle of her life.

One day, the boy fell ill while with his father, who had him sent home to his mother. He died on her lap shortly after.

You see, it was bad enough that she had no children, and she had gotten used to that pain and reproach. No wonder she didn’t bring it up when Elisha asked her what he could do for her. But to get the son she never had and then lose him, that's a different ball game all together.

The woman of means loses the love of her life, just like that, the son she had not asked for but was given because of her hospitality. Watch what she does from this point on. She takes the dead boy to the upper room and lays him on Elisha's bed.

Her son of promise dies. Because she is a woman of faith, she decides that she is not going to prepare a funeral service. She decides to go back to where it all started. Her manner from this point on is what impressed me much those years ago when I studied her. Her son has just died, but instead of bursting into wails, telling everyone what has happened, she decides “this is not how things are going to go down. This wasn’t part of the script”.

You see, sometimes life happens to us and we take it hands down. This woman of means wasn’t going to take life happening to her without a fight. What is outstanding is how she decides to go about it. She reckons no one has the power to fix it except the one who blessed her in the first place. She doesn’t even tell her husband that their son has died. She tells him all is well, but that she is on her way to find Elisha. She focuses her attention on finding the one who had blessed her, not the unthinkable that had just happened.

It is well, she says, when Elisha’s aide asks her if anything is the matter. Her child is lying dead on Elisha’s bed but she says it is well. I like how my pastor put it; as long as it is Jehazi who is asking, she says it is well.

Some of us are so quick to announce our problems to anyone and everyone. The story of this woman taught me that not just anyone gets to know my struggle, because they do not have the power to help me. I awaken the prayer warriors instead. It's not only that they can't fix it, telling them adds unnecessary noise to the situation and distracts my focus.

People of faith know who to talk to when they have a problem. Other people don’t need to know how bad things are. Tell them “it is well”, while you look for a solution. Sometimes the people you are confiding in cannot help you. Don't tell just anyone. Awaken prayer warriors to intercede with you. Go back to where it all started.

The faith of the woman of means gave her boldness. She told Elisha she wasn’t going to go back home unless he goes with her. Elisha sent his aide Jehazi ahead with his staff, but that wasn’t good enough for her. Don’t settle for alternatives, and don’t give up the fight. Push for the real deal.

Because she had honoured God, it was easy for Elisha to attend to her plea, to bring her child back to life. God honours those who honour him. Like the woman of means, look for opportunities to honour God, because as you honour Him, you position yourself for blessings.

I like something else my pastor brought out in this story. Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on his bed dead. He prayed and lay on the boy, his body warmed up, but he was still dead. He went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. This time the boy sneezed and opened his eyes. Sometimes it’s not enough to pray once, go back to it again and again.

When trouble strikes, go back to where it all began. Whatever you obtain on your knees, in the presence of God, you maintain in the presence of God. Take your trouble to the one able to fix it. When overwhelmed, awaken the prayer warriors in your life to shake the heavens with you. Don’t tell just anyone. It is well.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi